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Forge & Fracture Saga #1
That Self-Same Metal
A stunning YA fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Justina Ireland, about a Black girl (and sword expert) fighting a Fae uprising in Shakespearean London
Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.
Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.
Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.
Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
About the author
Brittany N. Williams
6 books183 followersBrittany N. Williams is an actress, writer, and nerd of many fandoms. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Howard University (HU, You Know) and an MA in Classical Acting from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama (Carrie Fisher’s alma mater for 18 months).
Brittany has performed across three continents—including a year spent as a principal vocalist at Hong Kong Disneyland—and her writing has been featured on Black Nerd Problems, Tor.com, in The Indypendent, The Gambit, Fireside Magazine, and in the Star Wars anthology From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Her first novel, That Self-Same Metal , a YA historical fantasy set in William Shakespeare’s London.
You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @BrittanyActs and at brittanynwilliams.com.
Brittany has performed across three continents—including a year spent as a principal vocalist at Hong Kong Disneyland—and her writing has been featured on Black Nerd Problems, Tor.com, in The Indypendent, The Gambit, Fireside Magazine, and in the Star Wars anthology From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Her first novel, That Self-Same Metal , a YA historical fantasy set in William Shakespeare’s London.
You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @BrittanyActs and at brittanynwilliams.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
April 15, 2023
I was sold on the premise of this book- a sword-wielding Black girl fighting a fae uprising in Shakespearean London. Yes, sounds fantastic. And I think That Self-Same Metal delivers on the premise. While it does kind of read like a debut, there is a lot that I like about this - hello bisexual love triangle with the possibility of polyamory!
And as a fan of Shakespeare, this does a good job of integrating A Midsummer Nights Dream (obviously) and Othello in cool ways. It's clear that the author is well-versed in both Shakespeare and this historical time period (including the treatment of Black people living in London at the time), and does a great job of making that fit into this fantasy novel in a way that makes it accessible for younger readers. It deals with the racism and sexism of the time, while having a great heroine trying to make the life that she wants for herself within the social constraints she is dealing with. Oh, and also navigating the power over iron gifted to her by an Orisha who occasionally possesses her body. No big deal, right? And of course there are lots of dangerous fae about, especially since a magical treaty has recently expired and they can now threaten humans.
Overall I thought this was a fun and action-packed story that does a pretty good job of blending elements, though there are times the writing is choppy. I look forward to more from this author in the future! The audio narration is also well done. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
And as a fan of Shakespeare, this does a good job of integrating A Midsummer Nights Dream (obviously) and Othello in cool ways. It's clear that the author is well-versed in both Shakespeare and this historical time period (including the treatment of Black people living in London at the time), and does a great job of making that fit into this fantasy novel in a way that makes it accessible for younger readers. It deals with the racism and sexism of the time, while having a great heroine trying to make the life that she wants for herself within the social constraints she is dealing with. Oh, and also navigating the power over iron gifted to her by an Orisha who occasionally possesses her body. No big deal, right? And of course there are lots of dangerous fae about, especially since a magical treaty has recently expired and they can now threaten humans.
Overall I thought this was a fun and action-packed story that does a pretty good job of blending elements, though there are times the writing is choppy. I look forward to more from this author in the future! The audio narration is also well done. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
April 21, 2023
TW//
This was a solid debut fantasy novel that reads like a love letter to Shakespeare. While I definitely had some issues with the story, I overall liked That Self-Same Metal and I will most likely continue with this series once the sequel comes out.
The wide cast of side characters were all a lot of fun to read about. Nick, Shakespeare, Rose, James, and everyone else were interesting characters that all made for a fun group dynamic. I wasn’t fully in love with Joan as a character and I wish I didn’t find her slightly annoying, but it wasn’t the end of the world for me since all the other characters carried the story for me.
I adored the action scenes with multiple characters in them in this book. The one-on-one battles were fairly average for a fantasy book, but as soon as the whole crew fought together, the battles became super creative and an absolute delight to read. I hope that there’s more battles in the sequel with the whole cast joining in on the action.
The magic in this world was really well written. The Orisha religion was combined with magical powers in a fascinating way. I’m really interested in learning more about the religion now and how it is practiced today. That being said though, the fantasy elements in this world weren’t fully explained. The way the Orisha worked was explained pretty well, but I don’t understand anything about the fae or about Bia. The fae were fun to read about since they could appear nice and proper yet turn evil in an instant, but I wish the story had dived more into how they work and the different types of fae. In particular, I wish there was more clarification on the red caps. Is the use of human blood unique to the red cap? Or is there something else that sets the red cap apart from other fae? The fae also take on a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feel in the sense that anything could happen from them at any moment, which made them a bit confusing at times. There’s a lot of room for Brittany N. Williams to dive into the fae lore in the sequels and I truly hope she takes that dive so that any confusion surrounding the fae can be cleared up.
Possibly my favorite part of this book was the historical elements. The author took lots of Europian history and wove it into the story in unique ways. I particularly loved the mention of the Tower of London as that’s one of my favorite historical sites in the U.K. I also really appreciated how Williams explores the ways that sexism and racism effected life in the 1600’s in England.
I was a little worried with this book at first when I found out that Shakespeare’s works would play a large role, but I was really grateful for the way that Williams presented the Shakespeare dialogue then explained what it meant. Honestly I understand the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream better from reading this book than from studying it in school.
The romance in this book wasn’t my favorite as I found it to be very lustful. Joan seemed to instantly be physically attracted to her two love interests, but the chemistry and romantic attraction didn’t feel entirely there. If the romance had been more fleshed out, this book easily could’ve been a four star read for me. That being said though, I was glad to see a bi-love triangle with a potential for polyamory in this story as that’s important representation for people to see in books.
That Self-Same Metal would’ve been a lot better with some changes, but I still enjoyed it for what it is and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next, especially after the major plot twist that this story left off on.
I won an arc of this book in a giveaway but that in no way impacts my review.
This was a solid debut fantasy novel that reads like a love letter to Shakespeare. While I definitely had some issues with the story, I overall liked That Self-Same Metal and I will most likely continue with this series once the sequel comes out.
The wide cast of side characters were all a lot of fun to read about. Nick, Shakespeare, Rose, James, and everyone else were interesting characters that all made for a fun group dynamic. I wasn’t fully in love with Joan as a character and I wish I didn’t find her slightly annoying, but it wasn’t the end of the world for me since all the other characters carried the story for me.
I adored the action scenes with multiple characters in them in this book. The one-on-one battles were fairly average for a fantasy book, but as soon as the whole crew fought together, the battles became super creative and an absolute delight to read. I hope that there’s more battles in the sequel with the whole cast joining in on the action.
The magic in this world was really well written. The Orisha religion was combined with magical powers in a fascinating way. I’m really interested in learning more about the religion now and how it is practiced today. That being said though, the fantasy elements in this world weren’t fully explained. The way the Orisha worked was explained pretty well, but I don’t understand anything about the fae or about Bia. The fae were fun to read about since they could appear nice and proper yet turn evil in an instant, but I wish the story had dived more into how they work and the different types of fae. In particular, I wish there was more clarification on the red caps. Is the use of human blood unique to the red cap? Or is there something else that sets the red cap apart from other fae? The fae also take on a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feel in the sense that anything could happen from them at any moment, which made them a bit confusing at times. There’s a lot of room for Brittany N. Williams to dive into the fae lore in the sequels and I truly hope she takes that dive so that any confusion surrounding the fae can be cleared up.
Possibly my favorite part of this book was the historical elements. The author took lots of Europian history and wove it into the story in unique ways. I particularly loved the mention of the Tower of London as that’s one of my favorite historical sites in the U.K. I also really appreciated how Williams explores the ways that sexism and racism effected life in the 1600’s in England.
I was a little worried with this book at first when I found out that Shakespeare’s works would play a large role, but I was really grateful for the way that Williams presented the Shakespeare dialogue then explained what it meant. Honestly I understand the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream better from reading this book than from studying it in school.
The romance in this book wasn’t my favorite as I found it to be very lustful. Joan seemed to instantly be physically attracted to her two love interests, but the chemistry and romantic attraction didn’t feel entirely there. If the romance had been more fleshed out, this book easily could’ve been a four star read for me. That being said though, I was glad to see a bi-love triangle with a potential for polyamory in this story as that’s important representation for people to see in books.
That Self-Same Metal would’ve been a lot better with some changes, but I still enjoyed it for what it is and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next, especially after the major plot twist that this story left off on.
I won an arc of this book in a giveaway but that in no way impacts my review.
May 21, 2023
i enjoyed the premise, it’s such a good idea and i liked that shakespeare was a character but i do think it fell kind of flat. speaking of characters, i love the main character and her twin brother’s relationship but separately i found it hard to connect with them. honestly this book had too many side character for its own good, at a certain point it was hard to keep up with. it wasn’t really very fun for me, i think a lot of people who do fairy books just can never make them entertaining? which is understandable because i think the folk of the air trilogy is holly black’s best books despite her having other fairy books before. also the book had no fun romance tropes! like it had a love triangle which i enjoy but the book failed to make me care really.
Want to read
January 12, 2023Leigh Bardugo said she loved this book so I am sold
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
November 30, 2023
Loved the historical details and the melding of fantasy and Shakespeare. Weaving A Midsummer Night's Dream into reality was an inspired choice, and I loved it! Also, the meeting of English fae and Orisha is so cool! I adored the iron magic.
I also loved the slowly unfolding bisexual polyamorous love triangle that is possibly, perhaps kinda forming.
However, I did wish that this hadn't tried to cram so. damn. much. into the first installation. There was so much that it often seemed to lose its focus midway through before finding itself once again. It was like every possible event that happened was crammed into 1605 and Joan somehow found herself stumbling into the midst of it as the only person who could fix things.
Overall, it's a fun, swashbuckling adventure set in Shakespeare's London with a fast-moving plot and lots of things to love!
I also loved the slowly unfolding bisexual polyamorous love triangle that is possibly, perhaps kinda forming.
However, I did wish that this hadn't tried to cram so. damn. much. into the first installation. There was so much that it often seemed to lose its focus midway through before finding itself once again. It was like every possible event that happened was crammed into 1605 and Joan somehow found herself stumbling into the midst of it as the only person who could fix things.
Overall, it's a fun, swashbuckling adventure set in Shakespeare's London with a fast-moving plot and lots of things to love!
April 12, 2024
2024 reread:
I reread this quickly so I can start the ARC for book 2 tomorrow.
I love this as much on my reread❤️
Original review:
I fucking loved this!
This reminded me loosely of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn in that it features Black folks in white spaces using African Traditional Religion.
This features the Fae, the Orisha, Will Shakespeare and many historical actors who worked with him in The King's Men acting troupe.
I did not like the narrator and I found my mind wandering a bit but I also bought the ebook and used both.
This is clearly the beginning of a series and I am SO ready for book 2!
I reread this quickly so I can start the ARC for book 2 tomorrow.
I love this as much on my reread❤️
Original review:
I fucking loved this!
This reminded me loosely of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn in that it features Black folks in white spaces using African Traditional Religion.
This features the Fae, the Orisha, Will Shakespeare and many historical actors who worked with him in The King's Men acting troupe.
I did not like the narrator and I found my mind wandering a bit but I also bought the ebook and used both.
This is clearly the beginning of a series and I am SO ready for book 2!
April 22, 2023
I enjoyed this genre-defying YA historical fantasy/romance debut so, so much!! Set in Shakespearean London, Joan is the daughter of a Blacksmith who manages the swords for a theatre company and has the magical ability to control metal. She's also part of a Black family that can see the Fae who walk among humans in disguise.
When trying to save her brother, she accidentally kills the leader of the Fae and gets caught up in an uprising. Full of intrigue, action, romance and so much more. I devoured this and loved it on audio narrated by Patricia Allison. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and highly recommend the book for fans of authors like Sarah Raughley or Liselle Sambury.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
When trying to save her brother, she accidentally kills the leader of the Fae and gets caught up in an uprising. Full of intrigue, action, romance and so much more. I devoured this and loved it on audio narrated by Patricia Allison. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and highly recommend the book for fans of authors like Sarah Raughley or Liselle Sambury.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
March 24, 2023
Thank you so much to AMULET for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
That Self-Same Metal is a YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of A Midsummer's Night Dream, West African mythology, and queer romances. The story follows Joan, a craftswoman who creates the stage blades for William Shakespeare--yes that William Shakespeare--and his acting company, The King’s Men. While the story had a very interesting premise, I unfortunately did not feel like its execution was done well. The magic system and explanations of how the Fae and other creatures operate in 1500's England was confusing for me to understand. Perhaps the most confusing part of the story, though, was trying to remember who each of the characters were in this book. There is a large number of side characters in this story, and most of them popped up sporadically throughout the book. I had a hard time keeping track of who they were, what powers they may have had, if they were on Joan's side or not, etc. Some of these side characters even had the same names as other side characters, so I got them even more mixed up.
Additionally, because there are a larger number of side characters, this brought on minimal character development. There is a queer love triangle between Joan and two other characters in this novel, but because these two love interests were often overshadowed by other side characters, the romance felt very underdeveloped and fast-paced.
The aspects of the story I did enjoy would most likely have to be James and Joan's relationship as siblings--I adore sibling relationships in books and I feel like their relationship was the most developed out of all the characters in the novel. The Orisha, Yoruba religion, and West African mythology overall was very captivating as well. I also found the concept of Shakespeare's characters from A Midsummer's Night Dream being actual Fae in real life super interesting, although the connection between these characters and how Shakespeare came upon them for his play was not very clear.
I also wanted to mention some of the TW's for this book, which include graphic racism, repeated racial slurs, sexism, and physical abuse. I did feel a little uncomfortable reading about Shakespeare's character in this book because in reality Shakespeare did have racist language and slurs in his plays, and most likely was not a friendly ally to BIPOC like he is in this novel. Thus, while this book is the first in a series and ends in a moderate cliffhanger that leaves the door open for many aspects of the story, I most likely will not be picking up the next book in the series.
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That Self-Same Metal is a YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of A Midsummer's Night Dream, West African mythology, and queer romances. The story follows Joan, a craftswoman who creates the stage blades for William Shakespeare--yes that William Shakespeare--and his acting company, The King’s Men. While the story had a very interesting premise, I unfortunately did not feel like its execution was done well. The magic system and explanations of how the Fae and other creatures operate in 1500's England was confusing for me to understand. Perhaps the most confusing part of the story, though, was trying to remember who each of the characters were in this book. There is a large number of side characters in this story, and most of them popped up sporadically throughout the book. I had a hard time keeping track of who they were, what powers they may have had, if they were on Joan's side or not, etc. Some of these side characters even had the same names as other side characters, so I got them even more mixed up.
Additionally, because there are a larger number of side characters, this brought on minimal character development. There is a queer love triangle between Joan and two other characters in this novel, but because these two love interests were often overshadowed by other side characters, the romance felt very underdeveloped and fast-paced.
The aspects of the story I did enjoy would most likely have to be James and Joan's relationship as siblings--I adore sibling relationships in books and I feel like their relationship was the most developed out of all the characters in the novel. The Orisha, Yoruba religion, and West African mythology overall was very captivating as well. I also found the concept of Shakespeare's characters from A Midsummer's Night Dream being actual Fae in real life super interesting, although the connection between these characters and how Shakespeare came upon them for his play was not very clear.
I also wanted to mention some of the TW's for this book, which include graphic racism, repeated racial slurs, sexism, and physical abuse. I did feel a little uncomfortable reading about Shakespeare's character in this book because in reality Shakespeare did have racist language and slurs in his plays, and most likely was not a friendly ally to BIPOC like he is in this novel. Thus, while this book is the first in a series and ends in a moderate cliffhanger that leaves the door open for many aspects of the story, I most likely will not be picking up the next book in the series.
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December 14, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up
This novel had an intriguing and compelling story and good prose, but it crammed a bit too much in its length, so the overall impression is that it ends up being a bit shallow.
I really liked the author's approach to the Fae, and the way the magic of the protagonist and her community was presented was also very intriguing, but it wasn't explored in any great depth - we're often told that there is a religious aspect to the magic, that there are rituals the community performs together etc, but we're never shown any of them. I hope the next book will go more in depth into those aspects.
The characters were interesting, and I particularly liked the sibling relationship between Joan and her twin, James. The romantic aspect, while it had potential, suffered from having to share space with the very intense plot. There were only a few interactions between Joan and her love interests, so the romance didn't feel very believable, and felt as though it was purely based on physical attraction (particularly when it comes to Rose, because she and Joan meet in this book for the first time, and don't have a prior relationship).
Joan wasn't a bad protagonist by any means, as she was likable and proactive, but I wish her internal arc had been developed better. It's deeply based on her relationship with her Head Orisha, Ogun, but the Orisha in general suffer from a lack of depth in this book, and I think Joan's arc suffered as a result. She can also be, for lack of a better term, very stupid, but she's portrayed as quite smart overall by the narrative, so it makes the writing feel inconsistent. Stupidity/naivete are completely fine character flaws to give to your protagonist, just as it's totally fine to write a smart character who has some blind spots, but it's not the case here: as I wrote above, Joan is overall quite smart, but she misses completely obvious things for what feels like no reason beyond narrative convenience.
Overall, this was a fun read, and it got me out of reading slump, so I do recommend checking it out! It's a debut, and it feels as though the author is still finding her feet a little, but I do have high hopes for her next books.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This novel had an intriguing and compelling story and good prose, but it crammed a bit too much in its length, so the overall impression is that it ends up being a bit shallow.
I really liked the author's approach to the Fae, and the way the magic of the protagonist and her community was presented was also very intriguing, but it wasn't explored in any great depth - we're often told that there is a religious aspect to the magic, that there are rituals the community performs together etc, but we're never shown any of them. I hope the next book will go more in depth into those aspects.
The characters were interesting, and I particularly liked the sibling relationship between Joan and her twin, James. The romantic aspect, while it had potential, suffered from having to share space with the very intense plot. There were only a few interactions between Joan and her love interests, so the romance didn't feel very believable, and felt as though it was purely based on physical attraction (particularly when it comes to Rose, because she and Joan meet in this book for the first time, and don't have a prior relationship).
Joan wasn't a bad protagonist by any means, as she was likable and proactive, but I wish her internal arc had been developed better. It's deeply based on her relationship with her Head Orisha, Ogun, but the Orisha in general suffer from a lack of depth in this book, and I think Joan's arc suffered as a result. She can also be, for lack of a better term, very stupid, but she's portrayed as quite smart overall by the narrative, so it makes the writing feel inconsistent. Stupidity/naivete are completely fine character flaws to give to your protagonist, just as it's totally fine to write a smart character who has some blind spots, but it's not the case here: as I wrote above, Joan is overall quite smart, but she misses completely obvious things for what feels like no reason beyond narrative convenience.
Overall, this was a fun read, and it got me out of reading slump, so I do recommend checking it out! It's a debut, and it feels as though the author is still finding her feet a little, but I do have high hopes for her next books.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 10, 2023
2023 reads: 209/350
joan creates stage blades for william shakespeare’s acting company. the skill she uses to do this comes from her magical, orisha-gifted ability to control metal. lately, there has been more fae attacks, which joan is drawn into after saving the son of a cruel lord.
i put this book on my tbr as soon as i saw the cover and heard it was set in shakespearean london and had magic. though i haven’t read very many historical fantasies, i normally really enjoy them when i do, so i was excited to start this! i really enjoyed the action scenes and the magic system. it was cool to see the yoruba religion mixed with faeries, and i thought this was a unique element.
i would recommend to any YA fantasy reader.
joan creates stage blades for william shakespeare’s acting company. the skill she uses to do this comes from her magical, orisha-gifted ability to control metal. lately, there has been more fae attacks, which joan is drawn into after saving the son of a cruel lord.
i put this book on my tbr as soon as i saw the cover and heard it was set in shakespearean london and had magic. though i haven’t read very many historical fantasies, i normally really enjoy them when i do, so i was excited to start this! i really enjoyed the action scenes and the magic system. it was cool to see the yoruba religion mixed with faeries, and i thought this was a unique element.
i would recommend to any YA fantasy reader.
November 1, 2023
This was fantastic!! I can't believe I've hardly seen anyone talking about it, but I'm obsessed. A queer Black mc, Shakespearean London, fae depicted as dangerous as they should be? And that it's a trilogy?? I cannot wait for the next two, and I'm definitely about to preorder a copy of this one.
October 27, 2022
Thank you, Edelweiss, for the ARC.
August 19, 2023
very fun and unique ya fantasy!
May 19, 2024
2.5 stars
I think a few people will like this but it was not my cup of tea unfortunately🤷🏼♀️🙈
I think a few people will like this but it was not my cup of tea unfortunately🤷🏼♀️🙈
June 13, 2023
[3.75 ⭐️]
February 28, 2023
while i'm typically not one for "fae fantasy", this one absolutely one me over. you can really tell how much careful research went into bringing shakespeare’s london to life, and the historical notes at the end are just the cherry on top!
April 28, 2023
I was genuinely just bored while reading this. I was 75% of the way done with this, and I was still debating DNFing it.
The message is great. It's wonderful, even, but I don't think that it's my cup of tea.
By all means, keep writing. I just don't think this is my kind of fantasy.
The message is great. It's wonderful, even, but I don't think that it's my cup of tea.
By all means, keep writing. I just don't think this is my kind of fantasy.
June 4, 2024
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this to review!*
First and foremost, I am definitely in the minority with my review and there is a flood of positivity here so take my review with a gigantic grain of salt.
I am so sad. This book sounded right up my alley and I thought it was going to be incredible, but it just wasn’t for me at all. Usually with books I dislike, I can find a few points that will justify me giving it a two star rating. Here unfortunately nothing felt redeemable to me. I have to be honest with myself I didn’t enjoy any of my time reading this, I just spent the whole time wishing it was over.
Firstly, I had no idea what was going on in here. Everything felt really rushed and there was a real lack of attempt at doing some thorough worldbuilding and character development, which made everything feel really shallow and difficult to immerse yourself in. Plot wise it was also really lacking, and I was bored to tears. If it was taking a more character focussed approach that’s fine, but there were so many side characters and random chapters with a perspective shift that didn’t add any value to the book, but left me feeling an overwhelming sense of confusion. I don’t know why Guy Fawkes and Shakespear have their own POV chapters in here and dialogue. But I wish they didn’t. It’s like the idea for this book was there and it was solid, but the execution was really unfocused. I read over 300 pages of this book and I genuinely don’t think I could tell you a single thing that happened.
Joan had potential to be a great protagonist and on paper she’s incredible, but the writing really let her down. She had no development, and like every other character in here she felt extremely flat and two dimensional. I also didn’t get along with her internal monologue at all, it drove me crazy. She kept asking herself rhetorical questions that she clearly knew the answer to every couple of pages, and it just got really repetitive. She was constantly stating the obvious as well. In this way, it kind of felt like the writing was quite basic and unimpressive at best, lazy at worst. A lot of it read like ‘He did this. Then he did that. He Sighed. He said this.’ etc. It was so dull to read. It also reminded me of If We Were Villain a little bit, where massive chunks of the dialogue were literally just characters having word for word conversations using Shakespeare quotes. A tad unbearable.
This book also felt very strange in its tone, I feel like it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to fully commit to being a YA book, or if it was trying to up the ante and lean towards becoming a new adult. Massive chunks of it, especially the dialogue and the behaviours of the characters, felt childish and naive. And at the same time, at points there was a really weirdly sexual undertone to a lot of the book that felt kind of inappropriate considering the characters are 16. It both managed to infantilize the characters, and age them simultaneously. It was really jarring to read, and I couldn’t really take it seriously. There was a half baked attempt at a love triangle which is introduced, conveniently forgotten about for most of the middle portion of the book, then randomly picked up on again at the end. Neither of the characters had any tangible chemistry with Joan, and there was literally no effort put into changing that either.
I just didn’t like this, I’m sorry. I really tried to think of one aspect that was decently done or that I enjoyed, and the only thing I could think of was the premise of the book. But when the delivery was this uninspiring and unenjoyable for me, I can’t justify rating it any higher.
First and foremost, I am definitely in the minority with my review and there is a flood of positivity here so take my review with a gigantic grain of salt.
I am so sad. This book sounded right up my alley and I thought it was going to be incredible, but it just wasn’t for me at all. Usually with books I dislike, I can find a few points that will justify me giving it a two star rating. Here unfortunately nothing felt redeemable to me. I have to be honest with myself I didn’t enjoy any of my time reading this, I just spent the whole time wishing it was over.
Firstly, I had no idea what was going on in here. Everything felt really rushed and there was a real lack of attempt at doing some thorough worldbuilding and character development, which made everything feel really shallow and difficult to immerse yourself in. Plot wise it was also really lacking, and I was bored to tears. If it was taking a more character focussed approach that’s fine, but there were so many side characters and random chapters with a perspective shift that didn’t add any value to the book, but left me feeling an overwhelming sense of confusion. I don’t know why Guy Fawkes and Shakespear have their own POV chapters in here and dialogue. But I wish they didn’t. It’s like the idea for this book was there and it was solid, but the execution was really unfocused. I read over 300 pages of this book and I genuinely don’t think I could tell you a single thing that happened.
Joan had potential to be a great protagonist and on paper she’s incredible, but the writing really let her down. She had no development, and like every other character in here she felt extremely flat and two dimensional. I also didn’t get along with her internal monologue at all, it drove me crazy. She kept asking herself rhetorical questions that she clearly knew the answer to every couple of pages, and it just got really repetitive. She was constantly stating the obvious as well. In this way, it kind of felt like the writing was quite basic and unimpressive at best, lazy at worst. A lot of it read like ‘He did this. Then he did that. He Sighed. He said this.’ etc. It was so dull to read. It also reminded me of If We Were Villain a little bit, where massive chunks of the dialogue were literally just characters having word for word conversations using Shakespeare quotes. A tad unbearable.
This book also felt very strange in its tone, I feel like it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to fully commit to being a YA book, or if it was trying to up the ante and lean towards becoming a new adult. Massive chunks of it, especially the dialogue and the behaviours of the characters, felt childish and naive. And at the same time, at points there was a really weirdly sexual undertone to a lot of the book that felt kind of inappropriate considering the characters are 16. It both managed to infantilize the characters, and age them simultaneously. It was really jarring to read, and I couldn’t really take it seriously. There was a half baked attempt at a love triangle which is introduced, conveniently forgotten about for most of the middle portion of the book, then randomly picked up on again at the end. Neither of the characters had any tangible chemistry with Joan, and there was literally no effort put into changing that either.
I just didn’t like this, I’m sorry. I really tried to think of one aspect that was decently done or that I enjoyed, and the only thing I could think of was the premise of the book. But when the delivery was this uninspiring and unenjoyable for me, I can’t justify rating it any higher.
January 4, 2024
Fantasy loving, theatre nerds are going to ADORE this refreshingly inventive Fae related fantasy that explores Shakespeare’s London (and its gritty, unsavoury underbelly) to perfection!
As a fan of Fae based stories and all things Shakespeare, I practically leapt at the chance to read this
It’s set in 1605, (two years after the Death of Elizabeth I) and follows sixteen year old Joan Sands, whose Orisha-blessed ability to control metals has made her an expert swordsmith for The Globe Theatre—working alongside Shakespeare himself!
But,when a pact between the Fae and the Yoruba spirits (which had protected the human world for centuries) is broken, Joan inadvertently finds herself at the centre of the cities’ conflict.
For London has become the hunting ground for the newly freed Fae and Joan’s gifts make her the only one who can stop them.
I thought this was quite an engaging read with a fiercely independent (and loveable) protagonist that readers will no doubt be rooting for from the start. The complexity of Joan’s character, and the internal struggles she faces— both as a queer black woman grappling with self identity, and as one of the magic-blessed, whose powers are soo strongly tied to the Orisha (Ogun) , were handled really well.
The pacing is a bit of a whirlwind at times, which meant some characters weren’t as in depth as others but Brittany N. Williams’ sharp wit and attention to the historical details was really enjoyable (like Joan, as the daughter of a goldsmith living in Cheapside, a street famed for its gold workers. I also can’t stop imagining The Cheapside Hoard belonging to them.)
I think she also did a fabulous job in using the well documented chaos of the era to firmly establish and cement the mischievous (and historically bloodthirsty) Fae into the narrative. Further helped by tying their antics to several well known figures/ historical events (I won’t give any spoilers, but I was intrigued to see one infamous plot from a more magic/supernatural perspective.)
If you’re at all familiar with Shakespeare’s works (especially A Midsummer Night’s Dream) then you’re gonna be delighted by the many references (and character cameos) we encounter alongside the Bard, whose own role was actually larger than I had initially imagined.
Overall, an adventurous (but incredibly fast paced) read that will appeal to historical fantasy and Shakespeare aficionados. Just be sure to check the TWs first.
Also, thanks to The Tandem Collective and Faber & Faber for the gorgeous finished copy.
As a fan of Fae based stories and all things Shakespeare, I practically leapt at the chance to read this
It’s set in 1605, (two years after the Death of Elizabeth I) and follows sixteen year old Joan Sands, whose Orisha-blessed ability to control metals has made her an expert swordsmith for The Globe Theatre—working alongside Shakespeare himself!
But,when a pact between the Fae and the Yoruba spirits (which had protected the human world for centuries) is broken, Joan inadvertently finds herself at the centre of the cities’ conflict.
For London has become the hunting ground for the newly freed Fae and Joan’s gifts make her the only one who can stop them.
I thought this was quite an engaging read with a fiercely independent (and loveable) protagonist that readers will no doubt be rooting for from the start. The complexity of Joan’s character, and the internal struggles she faces— both as a queer black woman grappling with self identity, and as one of the magic-blessed, whose powers are soo strongly tied to the Orisha (Ogun) , were handled really well.
The pacing is a bit of a whirlwind at times, which meant some characters weren’t as in depth as others but Brittany N. Williams’ sharp wit and attention to the historical details was really enjoyable (like Joan, as the daughter of a goldsmith living in Cheapside, a street famed for its gold workers. I also can’t stop imagining The Cheapside Hoard belonging to them.)
I think she also did a fabulous job in using the well documented chaos of the era to firmly establish and cement the mischievous (and historically bloodthirsty) Fae into the narrative. Further helped by tying their antics to several well known figures/ historical events (I won’t give any spoilers, but I was intrigued to see one infamous plot from a more magic/supernatural perspective.)
If you’re at all familiar with Shakespeare’s works (especially A Midsummer Night’s Dream) then you’re gonna be delighted by the many references (and character cameos) we encounter alongside the Bard, whose own role was actually larger than I had initially imagined.
Overall, an adventurous (but incredibly fast paced) read that will appeal to historical fantasy and Shakespeare aficionados. Just be sure to check the TWs first.
Also, thanks to The Tandem Collective and Faber & Faber for the gorgeous finished copy.
May 27, 2023
There were parts of this book that were fun, and there were parts that I didn’t really enjoy. I loved the magic system and the main character, Joan. I’m not the biggest fan of the time period, and the setting taking place around William Shakespeare. I’m sure some people will love it, but I found it to be just ok.
December 26, 2023
im sorry i just cant finish this LMAO
its not bad! its very alright!
not too much has happened yet and while I believe it has the potential to go somewhere my holds on more exciting books keep coming in and I'm just not invested in this one
though it could also be that its college time and I'm just not reading as much
its not bad! its very alright!
not too much has happened yet and while I believe it has the potential to go somewhere my holds on more exciting books keep coming in and I'm just not invested in this one
though it could also be that its college time and I'm just not reading as much
January 21, 2024
I loved this! As a drama student and lover of Shakespeare, I appreciated all of the theatrical Easter eggs and juicy homages to The Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was much more graphic and gory than I expected, but it worked very well! The story was gripping, I loved the characters, and the pacing was on point! I look forward to book 2!!
April 11, 2024
2.75*
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The concept sounded great; A queer Black female main character, set in Shakespearean London, a cast of characters working as actors (based off The King’s Men who performed Shakespeare’s plays at the time), Orisha gods and Fae stirring up trouble. Sadly, the execution fell flat for me. Perhaps it was precisely because there was so much going on that the elements weren’t balanced effectively, and the overall story suffered as a result.
One thing I adore in books is a historical note, so naturally I loved all the historical elements in this book, as well as the author’s note at the end outlining her real-life inspirations (every actor in the book was actually a real person!) and more information on the Orisha gods. Throughout the story, some chapters are seemingly disconnected interludes, whose importance become apparent later on in the story. I really liked this structural element as it clearly showed how innocent civilians were also being dragged into the chaos and terror the newly unleashed Fae were creating. The world-building was great; Williams evoked the winding dreary streets of London really well, and I loved the care she put into describing the outfits used in the plays The King’s Men put on.
Onto the King’s Men themselves… unfortunately, there was little in the way of character development. Everyone was rather 2D, resulting in a large emotional distance between the reader and the characters; I felt little connection to them. I found myself pushing through by the end of the book simply because I didn’t really care for anyone. This feeling was even stronger towards the romance present in the story. It is established Joan, the main character, is bisexual very early on, and has a crush on Nick, one of her colleagues. Later, we are introduced to Rose, whom Joan is immediately attracted to (largely due to her sizeable chest, having not ever spoken to each other before). Both attractions felt very lustful as they hinged only on physical appearance and were very insta-love. There is perhaps a suggestion for polyamory later on as Joan expresses a desire to be with both at the same time, but then the two relationships are kept entirely separate, so I wasn’t really sure what was going on if I’m honest.
Not much is resolved by the end of the story, and though this easily opens up a sequel to address the unanswered elements, I don’t have enough interest to want to pick up the sequel.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The concept sounded great; A queer Black female main character, set in Shakespearean London, a cast of characters working as actors (based off The King’s Men who performed Shakespeare’s plays at the time), Orisha gods and Fae stirring up trouble. Sadly, the execution fell flat for me. Perhaps it was precisely because there was so much going on that the elements weren’t balanced effectively, and the overall story suffered as a result.
One thing I adore in books is a historical note, so naturally I loved all the historical elements in this book, as well as the author’s note at the end outlining her real-life inspirations (every actor in the book was actually a real person!) and more information on the Orisha gods. Throughout the story, some chapters are seemingly disconnected interludes, whose importance become apparent later on in the story. I really liked this structural element as it clearly showed how innocent civilians were also being dragged into the chaos and terror the newly unleashed Fae were creating. The world-building was great; Williams evoked the winding dreary streets of London really well, and I loved the care she put into describing the outfits used in the plays The King’s Men put on.
Onto the King’s Men themselves… unfortunately, there was little in the way of character development. Everyone was rather 2D, resulting in a large emotional distance between the reader and the characters; I felt little connection to them. I found myself pushing through by the end of the book simply because I didn’t really care for anyone. This feeling was even stronger towards the romance present in the story. It is established Joan, the main character, is bisexual very early on, and has a crush on Nick, one of her colleagues. Later, we are introduced to Rose, whom Joan is immediately attracted to (largely due to her sizeable chest, having not ever spoken to each other before). Both attractions felt very lustful as they hinged only on physical appearance and were very insta-love. There is perhaps a suggestion for polyamory later on as Joan expresses a desire to be with both at the same time, but then the two relationships are kept entirely separate, so I wasn’t really sure what was going on if I’m honest.
Not much is resolved by the end of the story, and though this easily opens up a sequel to address the unanswered elements, I don’t have enough interest to want to pick up the sequel.
March 2, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for giving me early access in exchange for an honest review!
How great is that cover?? I was sold pretty much immediately based on that alone, and it mostly lived up to my expectations. The writing can be a bit clunky at times, and I found the romance to be very distracting*, but there's a lot to like: Joan's magic, her relationship with her brother, Faerie Nonsense, Shakespeare, just, like...Joan in general, honestly. Lots of good stuff. Also, it was all very queer and I am always here for that.
I was kind of on the fence about whether or not I'd read the next one, but the ending has made me very curious.
*It wasn't bad?? There was just lots of blushing and stomach butterflies, and maybe I'm just a cranky old lady, but it got old very quickly and felt like it was getting in the way sometimes. I like romance, but...yeah.
How great is that cover?? I was sold pretty much immediately based on that alone, and it mostly lived up to my expectations. The writing can be a bit clunky at times, and I found the romance to be very distracting*, but there's a lot to like: Joan's magic, her relationship with her brother, Faerie Nonsense, Shakespeare, just, like...Joan in general, honestly. Lots of good stuff. Also, it was all very queer and I am always here for that.
I was kind of on the fence about whether or not I'd read the next one, but the ending has made me very curious.
*It wasn't bad?? There was just lots of blushing and stomach butterflies, and maybe I'm just a cranky old lady, but it got old very quickly and felt like it was getting in the way sometimes. I like romance, but...yeah.
February 22, 2023
Okay, this started a little slow for me so if you’re someone that likes action right from the start I encourage you to be patient. The book did pick up and I found myself pulled into the story king. I like how the author played on Shakespeare while also being in African mythology. It was a different storyline but one that worked. I think this is a strong debut and will be looking forward to book 2.
October 27, 2023
I was excited for this one. The premises had me hooked but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I think there was a lot of things happening at once and too many characters to keep up with that I didn’t really have a chance to know Joan. The plot wasn’t intriguing enough for me but maybe it’s because I’m realizing I’m not a fan of historical novels. At some point I just wanted to finish it off.
July 1, 2024
4.75 stars [rtc]
October 9, 2023
This was a fabulous debut from a very promising author and I had a GREAT time. As another reviewer said, it does *feel* like a debut--there are a few rough edges from a craft perspective--but I thought the core of the book was fabulous, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Brittany Williams' career and craft develop.
The standout for me in this title was the heroine. Joan was a fabulous protagonist: smart and pragmatic, confident and capable, while also retaining just enough teenage uncertainty. She's exactly the kind of lead I think is particularly valuable for the Black YA fantasy canon, and I can already tell she's a protagonist who is really going to Matter to a lot of Black teen girls who haven't had the same breadth of relatable and aspirational heroes to look up to as white teens. I especially loved how well she knew her own crafts of metalworking and swordfighting, and how much confidence she radiated in her--well-earned!--abilities. Speaking of swordfighting, I was also very impressed by the action sequences; they were fun and exciting and very well-choreographed.
The other characters were a little bit of a mixed bag. Brittany Williams I think has a great talent for character writing, and a clear love of secondary characters and the web of relationships in her world. I loved the entire troupe of actors *as a whole*, but I agree with another reviewer's assessment that there were too many side characters for most of them to have a chance to feel fully-developed. I think a cast of this size is a better fit in adult fantasy, where there's a bit more space and breathing room to develop them; That Self-Same Metal is very fast-paced, which is great for YA, but unfortunately left me with more of a fleeting glimpse of a lot of characters than a proper grounding. This was a problem most with the two romantic interests, especially Nick, who barely got any characterisation. Rose was better-developed, but as the core relationship in the book was between Joan and her twin (which I loved, and James definitely stole the show as far as the supporting cast went), having not one but TWO endgame-leaning LIs meant both they and the romances more broadly felt a bit thin. I expect these will be fleshed out in book two, but it was disappointing in *this* book when there was so much potential and obvious love for the whole cast.
A definite strength, however, was the worldbuilding. Brittany Williams painted a rich and textured but not overly bogged-down picture of Shakespearean London, and while a surprising combination she made the Orisha x Fae x Shakespeare mashup work beautifully. It was also just such a FUN read, and surprisingly light in tone for the way it did not shy away from pretty extreme gore at times (severed arm count: 3; severed hand count: 2 plus several stray fingers; eating-a-man-aliv-while-we're-in-his-head-and-he's-ecstatic-about-it count: 1). Topics of race and gender were very well handled; I'm impressed at how viscerally sick Williams made me feel at the kinds of both micro- and full on macro aggressions Joan had to endure, especially with the knowledge that while things are perhaps a touch less *blatant* today, they are still 100% there. The plot was compelling and fast-paced, and while I do wish it stood a little better on its own, I think by the end of the duology it'll feel very satisfying. Oh, and it was also a big ol' grab bag of positive representation, which I really dug.
All up, this was a banger of a debut that I'm very glad is out in the world and had a great time reading. Thanks very much to Faber and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
The standout for me in this title was the heroine. Joan was a fabulous protagonist: smart and pragmatic, confident and capable, while also retaining just enough teenage uncertainty. She's exactly the kind of lead I think is particularly valuable for the Black YA fantasy canon, and I can already tell she's a protagonist who is really going to Matter to a lot of Black teen girls who haven't had the same breadth of relatable and aspirational heroes to look up to as white teens. I especially loved how well she knew her own crafts of metalworking and swordfighting, and how much confidence she radiated in her--well-earned!--abilities. Speaking of swordfighting, I was also very impressed by the action sequences; they were fun and exciting and very well-choreographed.
The other characters were a little bit of a mixed bag. Brittany Williams I think has a great talent for character writing, and a clear love of secondary characters and the web of relationships in her world. I loved the entire troupe of actors *as a whole*, but I agree with another reviewer's assessment that there were too many side characters for most of them to have a chance to feel fully-developed. I think a cast of this size is a better fit in adult fantasy, where there's a bit more space and breathing room to develop them; That Self-Same Metal is very fast-paced, which is great for YA, but unfortunately left me with more of a fleeting glimpse of a lot of characters than a proper grounding. This was a problem most with the two romantic interests, especially Nick, who barely got any characterisation. Rose was better-developed, but as the core relationship in the book was between Joan and her twin (which I loved, and James definitely stole the show as far as the supporting cast went), having not one but TWO endgame-leaning LIs meant both they and the romances more broadly felt a bit thin. I expect these will be fleshed out in book two, but it was disappointing in *this* book when there was so much potential and obvious love for the whole cast.
A definite strength, however, was the worldbuilding. Brittany Williams painted a rich and textured but not overly bogged-down picture of Shakespearean London, and while a surprising combination she made the Orisha x Fae x Shakespeare mashup work beautifully. It was also just such a FUN read, and surprisingly light in tone for the way it did not shy away from pretty extreme gore at times (severed arm count: 3; severed hand count: 2 plus several stray fingers; eating-a-man-aliv-while-we're-in-his-head-and-he's-ecstatic-about-it count: 1). Topics of race and gender were very well handled; I'm impressed at how viscerally sick Williams made me feel at the kinds of both micro- and full on macro aggressions Joan had to endure, especially with the knowledge that while things are perhaps a touch less *blatant* today, they are still 100% there. The plot was compelling and fast-paced, and while I do wish it stood a little better on its own, I think by the end of the duology it'll feel very satisfying. Oh, and it was also a big ol' grab bag of positive representation, which I really dug.
All up, this was a banger of a debut that I'm very glad is out in the world and had a great time reading. Thanks very much to Faber and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
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